A-bomb survivors pursuing national redress in relief law
Jun. 17, 2010
by Kohei Okata, Staff Writer
On June 16, the Japan Confederation of A- and H-bomb Sufferers Organizations discussed the revision of the Atomic Bomb Survivors Relief Law at its general meeting held in Tokyo. Many of those in attendance voiced the view that the organization should bolster its efforts to have the central government clearly state the idea of "national redress" in the law, which has been a cause of the organization since its inception. Further discussion on a proposal for revising the law will be made at local branches and the organization aims to complete the proposal by this fall.
In the discussion of June 16, an initial proposal to revise eight items in the law, which was compiled by a committee, was presented. Among the revisions are: payment of condolence money and benefits to the families of A-bomb victims; and further relaxation and simplification of the A-bomb disease certification criteria. The participants declared their support for the proposal, saying that the realization of national redress, which would compel the Japanese government to admit responsibility for the war, forms the basis for preventing the creation of further A-bomb survivors in the future.
Discussion on how to revise the law will not be fully made at most local branches of the organization. Therefore, local branch representatives confirmed that they will share their branches' ideas about the revision of the law by the next national meeting of the organization in October and these views will be summed up at that meeting.
On June 16, the last day of the general meeting, the basic policy for this fiscal year, including stronger efforts to revise the law, was adopted. The participants also agreed that Senji Yamaguchi, an A-bomb survivor from Nagasaki and one of the three chairmen of the organization, will become a special adviser and Sumiteru Taniguchi, 81, will become Mr. Yamaguchi's successor.
(Originally published on June 17, 2010)
On June 16, the Japan Confederation of A- and H-bomb Sufferers Organizations discussed the revision of the Atomic Bomb Survivors Relief Law at its general meeting held in Tokyo. Many of those in attendance voiced the view that the organization should bolster its efforts to have the central government clearly state the idea of "national redress" in the law, which has been a cause of the organization since its inception. Further discussion on a proposal for revising the law will be made at local branches and the organization aims to complete the proposal by this fall.
In the discussion of June 16, an initial proposal to revise eight items in the law, which was compiled by a committee, was presented. Among the revisions are: payment of condolence money and benefits to the families of A-bomb victims; and further relaxation and simplification of the A-bomb disease certification criteria. The participants declared their support for the proposal, saying that the realization of national redress, which would compel the Japanese government to admit responsibility for the war, forms the basis for preventing the creation of further A-bomb survivors in the future.
Discussion on how to revise the law will not be fully made at most local branches of the organization. Therefore, local branch representatives confirmed that they will share their branches' ideas about the revision of the law by the next national meeting of the organization in October and these views will be summed up at that meeting.
On June 16, the last day of the general meeting, the basic policy for this fiscal year, including stronger efforts to revise the law, was adopted. The participants also agreed that Senji Yamaguchi, an A-bomb survivor from Nagasaki and one of the three chairmen of the organization, will become a special adviser and Sumiteru Taniguchi, 81, will become Mr. Yamaguchi's successor.
(Originally published on June 17, 2010)
